The latest chapter in the Maikel Franco Saga has stayed true to the talented, yet struggling third baseman’s downward trajectory since a promising rookie season in 2015. Franco was suspended (then reinstated) from his Dominican winter league club, the Gigantes del Cibao, for partying into the early morning on a playoff gameday.

This only adds to the intrigue of Franco’s 2018 season, what could be the culmination of a patient front-office seeking the maximum output from a player it knows has the potential to be good, but has yet to put it all together. Per reports Friday, Franco and the Phillies have agreed to $2.95 million contract for 2018, avoiding arbitration.

Whether Franco’s time in Philly — which could end after 2018 with Manny Machado set to hit free agency, or sooner if Franco’s traded — ultimately results in him becoming the long-term third baseman or a prospect who ran out of chances, it will be characterized as a tale of patience by...

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